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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28325121">Fueling the Flames</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/EaArachnee/pseuds/EaArachnee'>EaArachnee</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Hollow Knight (Video Games)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Burping, Digestion, Dubious Consent, Licking, Other, Soft Vore, Vore, just to be clear this is a vore fic and there's really weird stuff in here</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 17:28:42</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Explicit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Rape/Non-Con</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,147</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28325121</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/EaArachnee/pseuds/EaArachnee</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Grimm finishes the Nightmare Ritual in his own special way.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Grimm/The Knight (Hollow Knight)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>20</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Fueling the Flames</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>i'm really sorry about posting this self-indulgent thing but not really, because i know at least 1 person here is going to appreciate it.</p><p>quick shoutout to bpacc437 for inspiring me to write this out</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Entering the odd circus tent once again, the Ghost gingerly paced down the hallway, approaching a burly bug playing an accordion; Brumm, if they remembered correctly. They walked up to him, Grimmchild still fluttering behind. They looked up, and Brumm met their eyes, playing his according even as he talked.</p><p>“Speak to Master,” he grunted out between notes, “He’s waiting for you.” The Ghost gave a small nod, and went down to the stage. Brumm kept on playing as they headed down to the center of the tent, never taking his eyes off of them, only stopping once the stage’s curtains dropped behind the Ghost.</p><p>They approached the darkened center, save for a spotlight on the other end, slowing down as they approached it; it’d been some time since they “collected the flames” again, an odd request made by an odder bug: Grimm. Piercing scarlet eyes on a towering, lithe figure. A face so stoic that it could’ve been made of marble. Charm that oozed off of every word he said. Whatever Grimm was, it made the Ghost feel apprehensive about dealing with him. A small gust of hot wind blew across the stage. Ah, and speak of the devil.<br/>
A huge flash of flame interrupted whatever thoughts they would’ve had, and in its center was the bug in question, facing away from the Ghost. He looked over his shoulder in an almost dramatic fashion, speaking in a raspy, growling voice.</p><p>“Greetings, my friend. You return once more. And the flames you’ve brought radiate such warmth too!”</p><p>Grimm turned around and opened his cloak, revealing his thin body in its entirety. The Ghost saw Grimmchild fly over them and into Grimm’s cloak, disappearing in a puff of red smoke. They’d seen this happen once before, but it wasn’t any less unnerving, though at least Grimmchild came back afterwards.</p><p>Grimm clutched his chest, seemingly in pain, but his relaxed expression and unnerving smile said otherwise, “Ha… What heat they have. What strength they carry! The Ritual is almost complete. The time has come.”</p><p>He snapped his fingers, and lights flashed all over the circus tent, revealing a packed audience full of Troupe members. A drumroll came from both nowhere and everywhere, and the audience shouted for Grimm as he bowed down to the Ghost. He offered his hand to them, his eyes burning with something fierce, intent on whatever his purpose was. The Ghost seized up in anticipation, and prepared for what could be the fight of their life.</p><p>“Come, my friend! Dance with me!”</p><p>---</p><p>The Ghost, bruised and beaten from their “dance” with Grimm, fell face-first onto the floor of the tent. Despite their best efforts, Grimm was too agile to beat for the unprepared vessel. The Ghost made an effort to move, trying to find the strength to get up, but found nothing left in their body. They looked up and saw Grimm bowing to them once more, spotlights surrounding them both.</p><p>“Ah, bravo, bravo!” Grimm clasped his hands together, approaching the nearly-faint Ghost, “What a wonderful act. Masterful even. Listen to how the crowd adores you!” The audience was exuberant, clapping and cheering the duo on, despite the many faceplants the Ghost suffered in their “dance”.</p><p>“That was but an appetizer for you, my dear audience!” Grimm boasted, “The end act of our show has yet to start!”</p><p>He picked the Ghost up to their feet, hardly a challenge for him considering they only reached up to his hips. He let out a soft chuckle, seeing the Ghost stumble around. They couldn’t focus on anything; their fight with Grimm knocked out the wind out of them, and every part of their form hurt. They turned their head up to meet with Grimm’s smug, smiling face, and tried to focus on what he was saying.</p><p>Grimm sighed, “My, my… Quite exhausting, our dance, but quite exhilarating for us both, wasn’t it?” His eyes narrowed and took on a glint all too familiar to the Ghost. Despite their head spinning, to them, it shared a look with the many animals within Hallownest: feral, predatory, and hungry. Grimm’s teeth suddenly looked a lot sharper, and his grin took on a sinister aura.</p><p>“What say we finish our show with a finale that everyone is sure to remember?” The Ghost barely had any time to react when Grimm’s hand shot forward, grasping around their neck and raising them high above Grimm’s head. They tried to fight back, swinging their arms wildly, stopping after only a few pathetic swings. The Ghost was left tired and at the mercy of Grimm. They stopped thinking for just a moment, wanting to let their death pass by as quickly as it could. They went limp, being resigned to their death at Grimm’s hands. His laugh echoed in the Ghost’s head, and boomed throughout the entire tent.</p><p>Between the beating they took and the humiliation of losing in front of an audience, the Ghost almost didn’t notice the crowd’s excited reaction, or that Grimm had brought them closer to his face. The unexpected movement jolted the Ghost out of their trance, now fully aware of their surroundings. The first thing they noticed was that Grimm’s other hand was on their horn, effectively keeping their head in place. The other was that Grimm’s mouth was wide open.</p><p>Rather than a swift, merciful end, Grimm had other, more personally enjoyable ways to end his Ritual. He had brought out a bright red tongue, serpentine in shape but nearly as long as his entire body. The tongue shot out in a flash, and whipped the Ghost’s own “mouth”, slowing down as it impacted as to not destroy it too early.</p><p>Grimm gave a few exploratory licks, and his eyes went wide at the taste of the vessel’s mask, letting out an involuntary moan. Deciding to leave his composure behind, he pulled the Ghost in closer to let his tongue quickly reach all over the Ghost; their head, their body, no inch was left unexplored. The Ghost was resisting as best as they could, trying to avoid getting saliva in their eyes, trying to turn away as the snaking tongue flew all over and constricted them.</p><p>Grimm’s tongue was a flash of red as it ran across the Ghost’s body, “Mmm~… What a divine flavor you have… Your blood, your soul, your fear…” His open grin grew wider as his dance partner still kept struggling; he <em>loved</em> it when he had to work harder for his food to accept their fates.</p><p>Grimm had always put on a show like this for his audience before, but he found himself loving the taste of the poor vessel, and his own urges were being spurred on by the cheers of the crowd. His heart was pounding much more than usual for this “performance” for whatever reason. Maybe it was that Hallownest was a special kingdom to Grimm, or that he had grown some feelings for the vessel he was consuming. Either way, he felt he had an obligation to continue the Ritual; this was just a very, very enjoyable way to do so.</p><p>The Ghost, on the other hand, was panicking, trying and failing to think of any way to get out of Grimm’s grip. Their slaps were too weak, their kicks were too wide, and their spells were too draining to focus on. Every attempt to get out of his vice was met with a tighter response on their neck before slightly letting up. When they didn’t do anything to get out, Grimm pulled them in for a quick kiss before continuing his barrage of licks. The Ghost could do nothing but wiggle, Grimm softly giggling as they did so..</p><p>After minutes of licking all over the Ghost, Grimm pulled them in a loving hug, and gave one final, lingering kiss where the Ghost’s mouth would be. His smile dropped for a second after the kiss, and sighed wistfully, staring into their eyes.</p><p>“Ah… I must apologize, my friend. I am normally more reserved,” Grimm looked down at the vessel, “but you are a dear guest of ours, and should be treated as such.”</p><p>The Ghost limply fell backwards, out of energy from everything that’s happened.</p><p>“After all, the Troupe has a well-deserved reputation of hospitality,” Grimm tightened his grip, and smiled.</p><p>
  <b>“Let me show you.”</b>
</p><p>Grimm loomed over the Ghost’s head as his jaw unhinged like a snake’s. The Ghost, though too tired to do any real damage, shook their head to fend off the hungry predator to no avail. Saliva drooled down from Grimm as his tongue snaked down to constrict the Ghost’s head and pull them up. The Ghost’s head entered Grimm’s mouth without effort, even with their horns in the way, their body not offering any sort of resistance at all. The inside of Grimm’s mouth was a slightly luminous red, as if it were a furnace warming up for a meal. Grimm’s moaning, not to mention the cheering of the crowd watching, was resounding throughout the Ghost’s body. Agonizingly slow seconds passed as they were pulled into Grimm’s greedy gullet, gulps and gulks being the only audible noises as they slid deeper in.</p><p>As the last of the Ghost’s legs passed by Grimm’s teeth, he reared his head up to let them fall down with the help of gravity. The formless bulge in his throat was only slightly smaller than his head. He raised his arms as if he were waiting for approval from the audience; of course, the audience responded with nothing but excitement. They started chanting for Grimm to swallow and swallow more of the Ghost. Grimm, being the crowd pleaser he is, obliged in their demands, letting out a <em>ggrrllp!</em> that popped his ears and roused the crowd.</p><p>As the Ghost went in deeper, Grimm let out a sigh of relief and relaxed his jaws, finally setting them back in place. The bulge traveled down, visible as it went across Grimm’s chest and onto his midsection. It was almost comical seeing the bulge fall and bounce as it finally hit the bottom. Grimm rubbed his enlarged gut, still almost entirely smooth except for the faintest outline of the Ghost’s mask, near the top; it had only looked like he had eaten a too-large meal fit for a gluttonous king.<br/>
Grimm snapped his fingers, and in a puff of smoke, a lounging chair had appeared behind him. He let out an exaggerated yawn and stretched, laying down on his side, and all of the spotlights turned off, except for the few now shining down on him.</p><p>“What a wonderful dance partner you were, my friend,” Grimm covered his mouth to hide licking his lips, “and the Ritual is sure to last much longer thanks to you.”</p><p>He gave his stomach a soft pat, and it gave a long <em>grrrmmblll</em> as a response. He always loved this part of the Ritual: how much his meals struggled for their lives, the way they were reduced to nothing but liquid fuel as energy for him, how he always remembered each and every one of their names. He wasn’t cruel, though. He could make his stomach warm their bodies and numb their pain as they were being reduced to chyme if he wanted to. A surprisingly pleasant experience, if their last words were to be believed.</p><p>Of course, as pleasant as it was, they still perished in there. Instinct seemed to finally kick in for the Ghost as they began to regain some energy sitting in the stomach acids. Kicks and punches were visible on Grimm’s stomach as they fought back against the constricting walls. Grimm chuckled, and traced each impact on him. Even though he couldn’t see it, he could feel the once-solid form of the Ghost quickly turning liquid. Occasionally, the Ghost would let out a stronger hit, making Grimm wince in pain. In retaliation for each one, he pushed his hand onto his gut, right onto the Ghost, pushing them deeper into his stomach. The crowd ooh’d and ahh’d at each display of dominance, cheering as the stomach let out a deep <em>gurrggllll </em>every time. Grimm covered his mouth and let out a quiet burp as the crowd cheered on to drown it out. He was still, after all, the Master of the Troupe. Manners should be expected for a bug of his standing.</p><p>“Do not worry, my friend,” Grimm softly patted his stomach, “you have done your part in our dance an- Hmm?”</p><p>He realized that the Ghost had stopped struggling; this wasn’t unusual after mere minutes of being soaked in his digestive juices, but they usually died down slowly, not stop so suddenly. He felt disappointed in his partner; everyone else he had eaten was so much hardier in wanting to survive. The crowd expressed a similar feeling, awwing and booing at the poor showmanship.</p><p>“A shame, little one,” he stood up and sighed, “We had a wonderful first act, but I suppose not even the best can handle all they’re given.”</p><p>Grimm was about to snap his fingers to conclude the show when he heard a muffled shriek come from inside him. And then another. And then another. As each magical blast came up, it slowly bloated his gut inch by inch with SOUL. Grimm felt no discomfort from the magic, but his stomach let out an ominous <em>grroooan</em>. His cheeks flushed as he realized how much air was starting to fill him up, with an embarrassingly familiar pressure building up in his chest.</p><p>“W-wait! Stop!” Grimm tried to hide his embarrassment, “What are you-”</p><p>Another muffled blast made him lurch forward. Another long <em>grrrrrnnnlll</em> came from deep within, and the crowd began to stare in anticipation.<br/>
He was about to say something, but he suddenly let out a loud <b>BWOUUURP</b>, and the audience gasped in shock, awe, and horror.</p><p>He covered his mouth in embarrassment, “M-my audience, I must apologi<b>URP</b>, I-I’m sor<b>BORRRP</b>,” “Please forg<b>HWOORP</b>,” “T-this isn<b>BUURP</b>,” Every time he tried to say something, he was always interrupted by a loud burp or a gassy belch.</p><p>As Grimm slowly deflated his SOUL-filled midsection, he could feel his own stomach walls tightening around the Ghost, and slowly, an idea came to Grimm as revenge for the ordeal he was being forced to go through because of them. Grimm took in a deep breath, held it, and waited for the right moment when-</p><p>
  <b> <em>BBBEWWWWWWWEEEEEEEELLLLLLLLCH!</em> </b>
</p><p>He heard a slight crunch and could feel his stomach starting to finally pump the chyme throughout his intestines. He lulled his tongue out, sighing in immense satisfaction in how he dealt with the Ghost. His gut was now only slightly larger than normal; if they somehow survived the digestive acids, then they definitely didn’t survive the shrinking stomach. He licked his lips and hummed, before realizing he was still in front of an audience.</p><p>He tried to think of something, anything to say. However, his embarrassment didn’t last long. The crowd had erupted into applauds and cheers for Grimm, and chants for an encore show. He smiled, and gave them a deep bow.</p><p>“Ah… hear how they cheer for you, my friend,” he gave his gut a small pat, receiving only a small <em>brrbll</em> in response, “What a wonderful dance we had.”</p><p>“If the crowd wishes for an encore, then an encore they shall have!”</p><p>---</p><p>The Ghost woke up with a jolt in the middle of Dirtmouth. They looked all over their body for any signs of damage. Just another dream, it seemed like. Or rather, a nightmare. Speaking of nightmares, Grimmchild was curled up right next to them on the bench, quietly purring in their sleep. Elderbug was standing nearby, as always, keeping watch over the town square.</p><p>“Oh, you’ve finally woken up. I was afraid of waking you when you seemed to be resting so soundly,” Elderbug hummed, “despite the sinister carnival right next to us.”<br/>
The Ghost shook their head to gain some composure, and jumped off the bench, slowly walking up to the entrance of the tent, Grimmchild following suit. Though… they couldn’t shake this feeling that there was something missing inside of them.</p><p>---</p><p>Oddly enough, Brumm wasn’t there to greet the Ghost. Nor the two giant bugs outside, now that they thought about it. Strange, but stranger things have happened in Hallownest. They brushed it off, continuing down the entrance with Grimmchild.</p><p>They approached the darkened center of the circus tent, save for a sole spotlight at the other end. It was... like they’d done this already, every step and every move they took. Even after spending who knows how long in Hallownest, the one thing they could never figure out was this feeling of deja vu being a premonition for finding a Shade where they would be in these dreams they had. Yet there was none to be found anywhere here. What if…</p><p>A huge flash of flame interrupted whatever thoughts they would’ve had, and in its center was Grimm, except… this wasn’t Grimm. Grimm surely wasn’t this big. The Ghost certainly didn’t remember Grimm having such massive thighs or looking this pudgy.</p><p>“Greetings, my friend. You return once more. And the flames you’ve brought radiate such warmth too!”</p><p>Grimm turned around and opened his cloak, revealing his body in its entirety. Grimm wasn’t this fat before, was he? He didn’t have hips as broad as that, nor thighs bigger than a Nailmaster’s nail. He certain didn’t have a massive gut hanging off of him. But this was Grimm, no doubt about it, he was just… bigger. His cloak had stayed the same size, just barely managing to conceal himself. And they could’ve sworn they saw something bulge from within Grimm’s gut too. Grimmchild hesitated a bit, unsure of if they should fly into their father’s cloak.</p><p>“Hmm? My child, is something the matt<b>OOOOUUURP!”</b></p><p>Grimm belched up several familiar masks and an accordian, licking his lips afterwards. He kneaded his stomach with both of his hands, sloshing and churning with every swinging motion.</p><p>“Mmm… I must thank you, my friend. Ever since our shared dream, I’ve been so hungry,” Grimm wobbled forward on meaty legs, “And, well, my troupe would do anything for me.”<br/>
The Ghost was unsure on how to proceed. On one hand, Grimm was a truly powerful being now, and if they fought together, it’d be a disaster for the Ghost. On the other hand… they couldn’t stop staring at his gut, no matter how much their head told them to stop.</p><p>“Oh, and before I forget,” Grimm gave his stomach a hard slap and let out a powerful <b>BBEEELLLCH</b>, and out came a Shade looking dazed and confused. That solves the question of where the Shade was, at least.</p><p>“Now then, my friend,” Grimm extended his hand out, “would you like to dance?”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>and that's it for my first ever story, a really self-indulgent vore fic with a twink goth bug. please lemme know what you think of it. i'll probably write some more bug-related shenanigans from both hollow knight and the other funny bug game.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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